Claimant rate: every council in North East
Middlesbrough had the highest claimant rate of North East’s 12 councils in August 2026, at 5.2%.
Northumberland had the lowest, at 2.9%. The middle council, Stockton-on-Tees, had 3.9%.
| Rank | Council | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middlesbrough | 5.2% |
| 2 | South Tyneside | 4.8% |
| 3 | Hartlepool | 4.4% |
| 4 | Gateshead | 4.1% |
| 5 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 4.0% |
| 6 | Stockton-on-Tees | 3.9% |
| =7 | Redcar and Cleveland | 3.8% |
| =7 | Sunderland | 3.8% |
| 9 | Darlington | 3.6% |
| 10 | North Tyneside | 3.3% |
| 11 | County Durham | 3.2% |
| 12 | Northumberland | 2.9% |